Although the Mercury division of Ford Motors has been defunct since 2011, the luxury cars live on. The Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUVs came into the market in 2005, boasting fuel efficiency that is unparalleled among this class of cars. While this may be true, a lot of reviews argue whether the savings that can be made in fuel consumption are worth the high tag price on this SUV. The last version of this hybrid SUV, the 2011 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, was worth a whopping $30, 105. That price being the bottom line price of this SUV, the Mariner is considered by many reviews to be the most expensive SUV in its category.

Expert Ratings

Performance

Currently 4.07/5

Reliability

Currently 4.00/5

Appearance

Currently 3.88/5

Comfort

Currently 4.16/5

Overall

Currently 4.03/5

ReviewitOnline Ratings are based on a number of factors including reputation, appearance, model age, engine & other comparative aspects.

The Mercury Mariner Hybrid is nearly a duplicate of the Ford Escape Hybrid, both having the same platform. Both the Mariner Hybrid and the Escape Hybrid are considered the most fuel efficient SUVs in the market. According to reviews, they both run at about 31 miles per gallon in the highway and 34 miles per gallon in the city. If you're not particularly looking for a hybrid and just after the performance of a sports utility vehicle, then other make and models might be a better option for you. Take the GMC Terrain for instance, reviews show it can level with the Mariner when it comes fuel efficiency in highway driving for a far smaller price tag. It is, admittedly, not as impressive in terms of fuel consumption on city driving. The GMCTerrain only cost about $24,000 making it a better option for those who are on a budget. Another alternative is the newest version of the Hyundai Tucson. It gets the same highway fuel efficiency as the Mercury Mariner Hybrid but costs around $11,000 less.

Performance-wise, the Mariner Hybrid received a mediocre rating in most reviews online. The ride quality was on the average side, and most reviews mentioned that the 2011 Mariner is not as agile as it is expected. The Mariner comes with a 2.5liter, 4-cylinder engine that is matched by a electronically-controlled Continuously Variable Transmission. Being a hybrid it runs with a 153hp engine and a 94hp permanent magnet electric motor. Reviews about the powertrain shifting between gas and electric power is flawless. There are still some complaints though of a noisy engine from some online review sites.